musical communication

This one is dedicated to the woman of my dreams who I have had the pleasure of spending half my life with. and even though we are in the process of seperation and our paths are taking different turns I will, (and do), love and cherish her for as long as I draw breath. Yesterday was her 40th Birthday and I wanted to lay this one down especially for her.

As far as I’m concerned this is the Wailers at their best. ‘Bunny’ delivers lead on this one with Peter and Bob harmonising in true Impressions style and is yet another piece of majesty from Coxsone Dodd’s Studio1 label. I grew up listening to and being inspired by Third World’s version of this song from their, (1977), ’96 Degrees In The Shade’ LP and much as I cherish that version this ‘marrow trembler’ brings me to my knees whenever I hear it.

A song that we, (should), all know delivered with pathos by one of the great Soul singers about a subject that is plainly close to my heart. Older brother of the Temptation’s member David, Jimmy hasn’t received the acclaim he deserves. This version, (the original), has the spoken intro which was removed for the final mix that made it onto the 45, (can’t understand why?)

Lyrics by James Dean, music composed by William Weatherspoon and Paul Riser, music played by the Funk Brothers, background vocals by The Originals, (Freddie Gorman, Walter Gaines, Hank Dixon, Joe Stubbs), and the Adantes, (Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, Louvain Demps), song produced by Weatherspoon and William Stevenson.

Artist, producer and one of Jamaica’s most loved sons, Dennis Emmanuel Brown first recorded at the tender age of 11 for Derrick ‘One Stop’ Harriott but it was at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio 1 that he made his name starting with a cover of the Van Dykes cut, ‘No Man Is An Island’ in 1969. The man had a prolific career that stretched right up until his untimely death in 1999 at the age of 42.

This one written by Carol King is, for themusicologist, a great example of what a cover version should attempt to do, namely bring something new and fresh to a song. Something which Jamaica’s musicologists seem to have perfected….Recorded for Joe Gibbs sometime in the 80’s.

didnt throw one down yesterday, too much on me plate and there wasn’t one tune in particular that communicated the message. today is another day and already there are at least four or five cuts that I would like to lay down. so without further delay…hold this one from another of me favourite artists and communicators…the Lion, Sam Cooke. Taken from the 1963 album Night Beat featuring a sixteen year old Billy Preston on the organ…Arranged by Rene Hall.

what more can I say about one of the 20th Century’s greatest musical communicators? regulars to themusicologist will know how much the man has been an inspiration to me. featured heavily over the last 20 months and will be featured many, many more times in the future.

This cut is taken from his final album New World Order. Recorded seven years after the incident that not only paralysed but was eventually to kill him. Remarkably he managed to finish this set laying on his back, (the only way he could get enough air into his lungs), singing one line at a time. After he recorded each line, the songs were edited together.

Eric Clapton is quoted to have called it “the greatest album of the year”

Curtis, step up and let us know what ‘time’ it is.

LISTEN TUNE…..

“It is glorious….
this is Curtis…never forget the life we live is oh so beautiful, yeah…
this life we live, (life we live) is oh so beautiful, (oh it’s so beautiful),

and I just want to tell you, i’m inspired to live my life,
you trust in me I trust in you, we try to do what’s right,
long as we we can grow, it doesn’t matter where you go,
there’ll always be you see, some sacrifice,

????????????????????????????
sometimes I gotta struggle day and night,
but I must do what I do,
cos life is truly really good,
now it’s time to get the money and watch my people grow,
and now I gots to go to another level,
I made my moves, and paid my dues it’s on again, (it’s on again yeah),

this life we live, (life we live) it is oh so beautiful, (is oh so beautiful), oh so beautiful,
(oh so beautiful life is beautiful),
the love we give, (the love we give), is oh so beautiful, (is oh so beautiful),

to see the sun shine,
you gotta come out sometimes,
it’s not for us to know, or wonder why,
reaching out in harmony,
praying for longevity,
just trying to find,
some meaning of my life

know when life’s got a way of making things look tough,
but still i’m thinking that is not enough,
t’aint ever make me feel like giving up,
i’m never gonna stop, don’t stop, won’t stop
i gots to have my fun,
wont be like be that it will be so dull and done
so I’m chillin’ and ill never fake the fun, (don’t fake the fun, don’t fake the fun)

this life we live, (life we live) is oh so beautiful, (oh so beautiful), oh so beautiful,
(oh so beautiful oh yeah)
this love we give, (the love we give), is oh so beautiful, (is oh so beautiful), oh so beautiful,
(so beautiful)

imagine if the people of the world girl,
could find the balance, to take the challenge, my my,
just to solve your conflict with another,
sister and brother,father and mother, hey hey

to reap all the glory,
we must take inventory,
and love everything in it,
cos this is our planet,

this life we live, (this life we live) is oh so beautiful, (oh so beautiful), oh so beautiful,
(do you know what I’m talking about),
this love we give, (yeah, yeah), it is oh so beautiful, (oh yeah), oh so beautiful, (it is glorious),
this life we live is oh so beautiful, (you got to reap everything you sow in life, oh yeah) oh so beautiful,
keep love on the planet we live in,
this love we give, (oh yes) is oh so beautiful,
smell a rose sometime, stop this crime

sliding out of that beautiful piece of musicology from Sade into this next slice of the musicology pie, written by the brothers Gibb, (Barry and Robin), produced by the legendary Willie Mitchell and delivered, in spades, by the ‘Reverend’.

not finding it easy to concentrate at the moment. suffering from a touch of confusion with a side order of indecision so i’m just going to lay down a selection of cuts that, for me, communicate the/a message and inspire the ‘flow’… so for the next little while I’ll let the music do what it does best…the talking.

first up is a piece from UK Soul pioneers, Sade featuring the sublime vocals of Helen Folasade Adu in harmony with the nucleus of the band who have been together since first appearing as a unit in 1982. selected from the top ranking ‘Lovers Rock’ set recorded in the year 2000 …. Quality, (with a capital Q)